Conkling Cavern

NM: Doña Ana Co.: ca. 1299 m.

Age. Late Wisconsin/Holocene. Much of the
fauna clearly is Pleistocene, but upper portions of the cave fill include Holocene
plant material and almost certainly some Holocene faunal elements.

Synonyms. Bishop's Cap Cavern.

Discussion. "In the summer of 1929, Mr. J. W. Lytle, Mr. H. A. Wylde and
Mr. W. L. Bliss excavated a cavern on the east slope of the Organ Mountains, in Dona
Ana County, New Mexico" (Howard 1931:206). Howard also mentions that the cave was
named in honor of Mr. Roscoe P. Conkling as the discoverer. The cave is on the eastern
side of Bishops Cap, a southern limestone outlier of the Organ Mountains.

A vertical section (from a museum model) is shown in Conkling (1932). He mentions
that the cavern was filled completely to within about 8 ft. "from the chimney-like
neck at the entrance" and "Examination of the cave deposit indicates that
some of the material is of the nature of wind-blown dune sand redeposited in old river
beds"(p. 11). In his list, he has fresh water shells and some plant material (root
of Algaroba or Mesquite tree; plant leaves; branch of Sotol Plant).

Fig. 1. Entrance to Conkling Cavern. Photograph by John Green.

Much of the faunal material certainly is Pleistocene in age, and presence of human
remains (Stock 1931; Stewart 1952) indicate that the age to at least to considerable
depth is late Wisconsin.

Conkling (1932) was a layman interested in cave faunas (and the discoverer of
several sites). As an untrained paleontologist, his publication leaves much to be
desired; a fair degree of subjectivity is involved in interpreting taxonomic records.
He listed mammalian taxa from a preliminary list complied by Chester Stock. I have
considerable reservations about the records of Megalonyx and "Possibly
Mylodon", but have listed them as given. Although he did not name Arctodusas the bear present, his description of it as a short-faced bear most
closely related to the Spectacled Bear of South America leaves little doubt as to what
was meant. Bison was represented by only one tooth, and it is possible that it
represents a different large bovid. Dire Wolf (Canis dirus) was noted as
occurring within the "Wolf Den" with gnawed horse, camel, and human bones.
Several species not present in Conkling's list are, however, recorded as present in
his discussion of various groups. Although only Antilocapra is mentioned in his
list, he names and accurately describes Capromeryx in the family account and
does not mention Antilocapra. Snake vertebrae and two plastrons of large turtles
are mentioned without any further identification.

Fig. 2. Looking up at the entrance of Conkling Cavern from the landing at the
bottom of the shaft. Photograph by John Green.

In comparing Conkling Cavern and Shelter Cave, there is a suggestion of differences
in faunal ages in that great numbers of Coragyps occidentalis (47 specimens
according to Conkling 1932) were present in Conkling Cavern while Cathartes aura
is scarce (one specimen according to Conkling 1932), while the first was absent and the
second abundant in Shelter Cave. At least in the Guadalupe Mountain region,
Cathartes aura is rare or absent until near the end of the Pleistocene.

Brattstrom (1964) listed Tetrameryx as having been recovered from Conkling
Cavern. However, this appears to be a misinterpretation either of Conkling's (1932)
discussion of Capromeryx or of an unclear statement by Stock (1930).

Fig. 3. View back toward the bottom of the entrance shaft. Photograph by John
Green.

Occurrence of Gopherus morafkai is based on Brattstrom's (1961:551)
statement that "Fragments of shell from this cave are similar to G.
agassizii."

The basis for the inclusion of Tamias and Spilogale in the faunal list
as reported by Harris (1993c) appears to be undocumented and the taxa are withdrawn
pending further investigation.